Kane County

Carol Stream family files lawsuit against village, former paramedic

Published: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 2:18 p.m. CST

By SUBURBAN LIFE MEDIA

CAROL STREAM – A wrongful-death lawsuit filed Friday against the village of Carol Stream and a former paramedic claims negligence in the Aug. 25, 2012 choking death of 81-year-old Armida Nonneman, according to media reports.

The lawsuit states the village "willfully and wantonly breached its duty" when former Carol Stream Fire Protection District paramedic Carey Zabran responded to call in Carol Stream where Nonneman was choking on food and could not breathe, according to reports.

The family's lawsuit says Zabran attempted to intubate the woman while the food was still lodged in her throat after Zabran allegedly was informed by off-duty paramedic and former Melrose Park Fire Chief Rick Beltrame that the food needed to be removed before intubating, reports stated. The lawsuit also claims Zabran knew that intubating with food still lodged "would worsen the situation by pushing the food further into the airway."

Nonneman died three days later at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, according to reports.